Clothesline and clothespin combination



July 8, 1952 N. E. FAZENBAKER I CLOTHEISLINE AND CLOTHESPIN COMBINATION Filed Feb. 9, 1949 Norris E. Fazen baker IN VEN TOR.

Patented July 8, 1952 CLOTHESLINE AND CLOTHESPIN COMBINATION Norris Evers Fazenbaker, West New York, N, J.

Application February 9, 1949, Serial No. 75,320

The present invention relates to a clothesline and a clothesp-in, and more particularly to a system comprising a plurality of lines held under tension and. clothespins permanently connected to one line and adapted to fasten clothes to the other line more securely and conveniently than conventional clothespins can do.

An object of the present invention is to provide a system of clothesline and. 'clothespin in whichthe pins are always'in position ready for use, and need not be separately stored.

A further object is the provision of a more durable clothespin than the one which has enjoyed leading popularity for many years past, and in which resilient legs extend integrally from a wooden body, and grip the clothes by being pushed down over the clothes and line, thereby spreading the legs apart. Such a conventional pin almost invariably fails by one of the legs splitting off from the body.

Another and further object of theinvention is the provision of a clothespin comprising means for gripping clothes, which means is independent of any compressive action on the clothes resulting from their being placed between the two legs of the pin.

In accomplishing the objects of the present invention, means are provided for maintaining a plurality of clotheslines, at least two in number but preferably three, under tension and substantially parallel and in a common plane. It is recommended that in a three line system, the outer lines be tensioned by turnbuckles and the center line he tensioned by a system of springs to be described hereafter. p

A plurality of identical clothespins are strung along the center line, the line passing through an elongated hole extending transversely of. the pin near one end thereof. The elongated body of the'pin is non-resilient, and is provided with a recess at its outer end adapted to engage one of the outer clotheslines. Preferably therecess is facing longitudinally outward from the end of the pin, and exceeds in width the thickness of the line to be grasped, and the body of the pins extending on either side of the recess preferably constitutes two legs of unequal length, of which the upper leg will be the longer in the operative 3 Claims. (Cl. 211-11913) and is compressed when clothes'are" being inserted or removed from the recess at the outer end. When the pressure from the outer end is removed the spring again urges the pin toward the outer line, firmly engaging the clothes between the line and pin. Y

Other objects of this invention will in part bi obvious and in part hereinafter pointe'dout. The

invention accordingly consists in the features oi construction, combinations of elements'and arrangements of parts which will be exemplified ii: the constructions hereinafter described. :1n theaccompanying drawing, in which is shown one of the various possible illustrative embodiments of this invention,

Figure l is a plan view of thesystem Figure 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 of Figurel. I

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the spring means for tensioning the center line,

Figure 4 is an end elevational view of the sam'e. Referring now in detail to thedrawings', my improved system I0 comprises a standard I I .at

, each end thereof for supporting the lines I 2', I3,

I4, which may be of any conventional material suitable for clothesline use. The standards I! are supported firmly against physical displacement by means not shown, it being understood that lines I 2, I3, It must be under tension for the successful practice of my invention.

The lines I2, l3, I4, extend substantially parallel and in a common flat plane as best shown in Figure 2. For tensioning the lines, I prefer to use turnbuckles I5, I5 on the outer lines, and two extension coil springs I'I, I8 for the central line I3. A ring I9 is immediately connected toline I3, and the spring I? extends from ring I9 to a tie bar 26 engaging aslot 2I in the crossbarz'z of standard I I. Spring I8 is heavier than spring I1 and extends angularly downward from ring I9 to eye bolt 23 on standard,II. v

The clothespins 25, 26, 21, 23 are identical, and loosely and slidingly engage central line I3, which extends through the elongated holes or eyes 29 which extend through the pins near the inner end thereof and substantially longitudinally thereof.

The elongated body 3!! of pins 25, 26, 2?, 28 is of rigid, non-resilient construction, and preferably of rectangular cross section. At the outer end of the pin is located the longitudinally extending, outward facing recess 3i adapted. to engage the outer lines I2, I4, and it is notable that the width of recess 3! is greater than the diameter of lines I2, Id, so that no compressive action is exerted upon lines [2, [4, by the legs 32, 33 extending on either side of recess 3| and defining the same and constituting a longitudinally extending fork. The upper leg 32 is preferably longer than the lower leg 33.

Leaf springs 34 are pivotally connected to pin body 30 near the outer end thereof by the pins or screws 35, further being located in recesses 36 substantially equalin width tosprings 34,-so that when viewed-in plan, as in Figure 1, spring 34 is within the outline of body 30.

Spring 34 engages pins 35 by means of an integral hook formation 31, and further engages line I 3 by means of the integral hook 38. The inner end of spring 34, including hook 38, is set in recess 39 which is longitudinally coincident with hole 29. As best seen in Figure 2, hook 38 is coincident with hole 29, and is maintained coincident therewith by its engagement with line l3. The inner end of spring 34, and principally hook 38, being confined in longitudinal movement by the tlimitof hole '29, is further laterally confinedin recess 39 by the-disk 48 .mounted on .pin 4| in body 30 for the purpose .of so laterally confining .spring 34.

It should be mentioned that, in Figure 2, the 7 lines of the pin 26 hidden by pin 25 have been .omitted from the drawing in order not ,to .confuse.

In operation, the pins 25, '26, 21, 28 a e p ferably positioned in pairs along line [3, as illustrated. A pin may be disengaged from the ,outer line I2 or 14 by inward pressure on its leg .32 and then upward pivotal movement around line l3, permitting clothes to be placed along the inner boundary of lines l2, l4, whereupon pin 25, for instance, is returned to a horizontal position and permitted to spring outward to the illustrated position. The clothes will thenbe gripped between the line and ,pin without any compressive action resulting from .the inner surfaces of legs32, 3.3,.as in an ordinary clothespin, thepressure resulting in my improved pin from the action of spring .34 urging the pin body longitudinally outward against lines I2, 14 and existing between "the lines l2, l4 .and the bight of the fork formed by legs 32, 33. There is thus no .tendency of the clothes andlinetosplit open pin body 30 as presently happens in resilient wooden clothespins. Furthermore, the .pins are always in place and require very little effort for theoperation of engaging the clothes.

It will thus be seen that there is provided a device in which the several objects of this invention are achieved, and which is well adapted to meet the conditionsiof practicaluse. .As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes .might be made in the embodiments above set forth, it

is to be understood that all matter herein .set

forth or shown in the accompanying drawing is to be interpreted ,as illustrative and .not in a limiting sense.

ther being formed at 'its opposite end with a longitudinally outward facing recess defining and constituting a fork, said recess exceeding in width the'diameter-of another of said clotheslines, and

resilient means engaging said first mentioned clothesline and said clothespin and urging the latter-toward said other clothesline, whereby said clothespin is adapted to grip clothes between said other clothesline and the bight of said fork by pressure-exerted longitudinally of said clothespin body.

2.;A clothespin :for use with two elotheslines maintained under tension in parallel spaced relation, .said clothespin comprising an elongated body, said body being formed adjacent one .end thereof witna longitudinallyextending elongated eye by means of which "saidclothespin maybe loosely mounted on client said clotheslines, said body comprising atitsother end a longitudinally outward facing fork-said clothespin further comprising resilientmeans mounted on said body and so constructed and arranged as'to engage said first mentioned clothesline and 'urge said body away therefrom, whereby-said clothespin is adapted to grip clothes between the second clothesline and the bight of the fork, and the clothes may be'released by displacingthe clothespin toward said first-mentioned clothesline.

3. A clothespin according to claim 2, said resilient means comprising a leaf-spring comprising an integral hook .at each end thereof, said spring being pivotally connected to said-body adjacent said fork by-means of one-of said hooks, the other of 'said hooks extending in "longitudinalcoincidence with said eye.

NORRIS EVERS FAZENBAKER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

